Methods and computer-program products for evaluating grasp patterns, and robots incorporating the same

A computer-program product for use with a computing device for evaluating individual grasp patterns of a grasp pattern set for use by a robot, the computer-program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for evaluating grasp patterns that, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to:
• select an individual grasp pattern from the grasp pattern set, wherein each individual grasp pattern of the grasp pattern set corresponds to a motion of a manipulator and an end effector of the robot for manipulating a target object;
• establish a thumb-up vector extending from a top surface of the end effector;
• evaluate a direction of the thumb-up vector during at least a portion of the motion of the manipulator and the end effector;
• exclude the selected individual grasp pattern from use by the robot if the direction of the thumb-up vector during the motion is outside of one or more predetermined thresholds;
• indicate the selected individual grasp pattern as a grasp pattern candidate if the direction of the thumb-up vector during the motion is within the one or more predetermined thresholds;
• and
• provide a plurality of grasp pattern candidates to a motion planner module of the robot;
• and
• manipulate the target object by the robot based on at least one grasp pattern candidate of the plurality of grasp pattern candidates.

A robot comprising:

• a base portion comprising a base surface;
• a manipulator movably coupled to the base portion;
• an end effector movably coupled to a distal end of the manipulator;
• a processor;
• a computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions for evaluating grasp patterns that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
• receive one or more grasp pattern candidates, wherein the one or more grasp pattern candidates are determined by:
• selecting an individual grasp pattern from a grasp pattern set, wherein each individual grasp pattern of the grasp pattern set corresponds to a motion of the manipulator and the end effector of the robot for manipulating a target object;
• establishing a thumb-up vector extending from a top surface of the end effector;
• evaluating a direction of the thumb-up vector during at least a portion of the motion of the manipulator and the end effector;
• and
• excluding the selected individual grasp pattern from use by the robot if the direction of the thumb-up vector during the motion is outside of one or more predetermined thresholds;
• select one of the one or more grasp pattern candidates and provide the selected grasp pattern candidate to a motion planner module;
• generate a plurality of motion segments corresponding to the base portion, the manipulator, the end effector or combinations thereof;
• and
• control the base portion, the manipulator, or the end effector according to the plurality of motion segments.